The Dunhill Medical Trust (vivensa Foundation)

Charity Number: 1140372

Annual Expenditure: £7.0M

Stay updated on changes from The Dunhill Medical Trust (vivensa Foundation) and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: Approximately £6-8 million (estimated based on endowment)
  • Endowment: £165 million
  • Success Rate: 15-47% (varies by programme)
  • Decision Time: Varies by scheme; typically 3-6 months
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £300,000
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)

Contact Details

Website: www.dunhillmedical.org.uk (now also www.vivensafoundation.org.uk)

Email: admin@dunhillmedical.org.uk | grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk

Phone: 020 7871 5402

Application Portal: dunhillmedicaltrust.flexigrant.com

Pre-application support: Available by emailing grants team to discuss eligibility and resubmissions

Overview

The Dunhill Medical Trust, operating since 1990, rebranded as the Vivensa Foundation in April 2025 (from the Latin word meaning “to live” or “to be alive”). With an endowment of approximately £165 million, the Foundation is the UK's only charitable funder focused entirely on supporting the research and social innovation needed for ageing well. The organisation funds academic and clinical research to understand the mechanisms of ageing and age-related disease, alongside community innovators developing care and support services for older people. Led by CEO Susan Kay and a Board of Trustees chaired by Professor Deborah Dunn-Walters, the Foundation operates through a team of eight staff members. In 2025, they launched a new Strategic Framework covering 2025-2030, focusing on biological mechanisms of ageing, under-addressed conditions, and person-centred interventions. The Foundation has received recognition for its impact investing approach, extending public benefit considerations beyond grant-making to its entire endowment.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Research Grants:

  • Research Project Grants: £25,000 - £300,000 for up to 3 years (rolling/call-specific basis)
  • Early Career Postdoctoral Fellowships: For researchers in early career stages
  • Multiple PhD Studentship Scheme: Collaborative doctoral training (annual rounds)
  • Joint RNID/Vivensa Foundation Fellowships: For hearing-related ageing research (40% success rate in 2023)
  • Joint BGS/Vivensa Foundation Doctoral Training Fellowship: For geriatric medicine research (15-20% success rate)
  • Excellence Awards: Recognition awards for outstanding contributions to ageing research

Community Grants:

  • Project Grants for Community-Based Organisations: £5,000 - £40,000 for time-limited projects focused on developing care and support services for older people
  • Grants normally awarded for maximum of three years
  • No awards made for less than £1,000; grants over £1 million only in exceptional circumstances

Priority Areas (2025-2030 Strategic Framework)

  1. Research on biological mechanisms of ageing: Understanding ageing-related conditions and disease, particularly addressing inequalities in the rate of biological ageing and links with social determinants of health
  1. Under-addressed conditions: Research on causes, management and treatment of conditions under-funded relative to their prevalence in older age groups
  1. Person-centred interventions: Scaling and spreading evidence-based interventions that prevent, delay or reduce future health and social care requirements, particularly through VCSE-researcher-public sector partnerships
  1. Suitable homes and communities: Planning, designing and developing living environments for ageing populations, particularly addressing needs of under-served communities

What They Don't Fund

For All Programmes:

  • Work taking place outside of the UK or primarily relevant to non-UK populations
  • Tobacco industry-connected projects
  • Fossil fuel-connected projects (investment exclusions)
  • UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Indirect or Directly Allocated costs (except in specific cases)
  • Part B AcoRD costs (NHS/NIHR CRN staff costs paid by Department of Health)

For Community/Implementation Grants:

  • Newly developed interventions without existing evidence of effectiveness
  • Drugs, medicines and other pharmacological treatments
  • Interventions specifically focused on cancer patients
  • Standalone healthcare products/technologies not part of a wider service/programme
  • Services already adopted or commissioned but requiring continued funding
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Dunhill Medical Trust (vivensa Foundation)?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

  • Chair: Professor Deborah Dunn-Walters (Professor of Immunology and ADRI, University of Surrey)
  • 12 Board members serving up to two four-year terms
  • Board meets four times per year
  • No trustees receive remuneration, payments or benefits

Executive Leadership:

  • Susan Kay, Chief Executive (strategic planning and governance specialist)
  • Dr. Sanjay Thakrar, Director of Research
  • Sarah Allport, Head of Communities and Governance
  • Andrew Gnaneswaran, Chief Investment Officer

Grants Team:

  • Oliver Soutar, Senior Grants Manager
  • Dr. Gordon Bruce, Grants Manager
  • Dr. Pedro Jacob, Grants Manager

Key Committees:

  • Research Grants Committee
  • Social Financing Committee
  • Investment Committee

Leadership Quote:

CEO Susan Kay states: “We like to invest in those who have great ideas and methods for improving the health and well-being of older people and in making the connections which can help them to flourish.” On impact investing, she noted that charitable trusts should demonstrate public benefit not just through grant-making but across their entire endowment.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications submitted through the online Grants Management Portal (dunhillmedicaltrust.flexigrant.com). Most schemes involve a two-stage process:

  1. Initial outline/expression of interest - screened by grants team
  2. Full application - subject to external peer review

Before applying, applicants must:

  • Complete the eligibility quiz on the Foundation website
  • Align proposal with the Strategic Framework
  • Check current open calls and deadlines on the funding opportunities page
  • Allow sufficient time for preparation (involve finance colleagues and department heads)

Decision Timeline

Timelines vary by scheme and are published with each call. Standard review process:

  1. Grants team initial screening
  2. External peer review
  3. Research Grants Committee review
  4. Board of Trustees decision (if needed)

Typical timeframes: 3-6 months from submission to decision, depending on the scheme

Notification: Applicants are notified as soon as possible following the final decision

Success Rates

Success rates vary significantly by programme:

  • Multiple PhD Studentship Scheme (2023): 47% (15 applications, 7 awards)
  • Joint RNID Fellowship (2023): 40%
  • Joint BGS Doctoral Training Fellowship: 15-20%
  • Innovation Fellowship (2024): 22% (9 applications, 2 awards)

Reapplication Policy

  • Applications can be resubmitted once only, unless explicitly stated otherwise by the Grants Team
  • Resubmitted applications must “clearly address the feedback and comments received during the original review process”
  • Strongly recommended to discuss any resubmissions with Foundation staff before starting (email grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk)
  • The Foundation publishes call-wide feedback highlighting common weaknesses

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Foundation

Director of Research Dr. Sanjay Thakrar published “10 Tips for Writing a Stronger Research Funding Application”:

  1. Pick the right funding call - carefully read scope, eligibility, and guidance
  2. Write for a broad audience - avoid jargon, make research understandable to non-specialists
  3. Be realistic - focus on achievable objectives with clear methods, timelines, and deliverables
  4. Explain the why and how - articulate research importance, team capability, and impact beyond academia
  5. Don't treat EDI or PPIE as afterthoughts - embed equity, diversity, and inclusion principles; show meaningful patient/public involvement with appropriate resources
  6. Align your budget and plan - ensure consistency between narrative and budget; be transparent about costs
  7. Clarify roles and governance - define team expertise, roles, and project management
  8. Use appropriate and respectful language - use inclusive terminology, avoid outdated or offensive terms
  9. Proofread thoroughly - ask colleagues to review for grammar, clarity, and technical accuracy
  10. Get and use feedback - consult funder's guidance, seek colleague critiques, learn from previous unsuccessful applications

Key Quote from Dr. Thakrar: "If you're rejected, don't ignore the feedback. Funders – including ourselves – often publish FAQs or call-wide advice that highlights common weaknesses. Strong proposals don't just come from good science – they also rely on clear and thoughtful communication."

Application Priorities

  • Less experienced PIs are encouraged but should include at least one experienced Co-Investigator with plans for mentoring and development
  • Applications should provide a clear impact pathway
  • Projects should be innovative and/or based on evidence of best practice
  • Community services should demonstrate plans for self-sustainability beyond charitable funding period
  • Proposals must be understandable to both specialists and non-specialists

Recently Funded Projects (Examples)

  • IMPACTAgewell®: Holistic model of care bringing together health and social care providers
  • Trans Ageing and Care (Dr. Paul Willis): Understanding health and social care needs of older trans people
  • Brain Training Research (Lucy Beishon): Investigating potential Alzheimer's disease treatment
  • Care Home Friends and Neighbors Intergenerational Linking: Connecting care home residents with young people
  • Farming Comes to You (Heeley City Farm): Animal-assisted therapy for people with dementia
  • ARC for the Future: Building suitable living environments for ageing populations
  • Naked mole rat research: Understanding how brains age healthily
  • British Sign Language and dementia: Changes in BSL within older deaf community

What the Foundation Values

  • Addressing under-funded or under-addressed areas in ageing research
  • Innovative VCSE-researcher-public sector partnerships
  • Projects with potential to prevent, delay or reduce future health and social care requirements
  • Research addressing inequalities in biological ageing and social determinants of health
  • Work focused on under-served communities

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Align with strategic priorities (2025-2030): Focus on biological mechanisms of ageing, under-addressed conditions, person-centred interventions, or suitable living environments for older people
  1. Write for a broad audience: Applications are reviewed by specialists and non-specialists; avoid jargon and explain concepts clearly
  1. Demonstrate innovation and evidence: Community projects should be innovative or evidence-based with clear sustainability plans; research should tackle under-addressed areas
  1. Embed EDI and PPIE throughout: Equity, diversity, inclusion, and patient/public involvement should be integral to the project, not afterthoughts, with appropriate resources allocated
  1. Be strategic about resubmissions: Only one resubmission allowed; contact grants team before reapplying and thoroughly address all previous feedback
  1. Use the feedback resources: The Foundation publishes detailed feedback, FAQs, and call-wide advice highlighting common weaknesses - study these carefully
  1. Allow adequate preparation time: Involve finance colleagues and department heads early; ensure budget aligns with narrative; proofread thoroughly and seek colleague reviews before submission

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References